


Train Wreck in Progress

by oriolegirl



Series: Birds of a Feather [3]
Category: Sports Night
Genre: Baseball, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-20
Updated: 2008-03-20
Packaged: 2017-10-02 17:58:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oriolegirl/pseuds/oriolegirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan is on vacation and bored, which is never a good thing.  Neither is Daniel Cabrera being the starting pitcher.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Train Wreck in Progress

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place in the same universe as [Unnatural Pretzels](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9082).

Sam was standing in the kitchen doorway, keys clutched in his hand. "Do you need anything?"

Dan looked up from the dishwasher he was emptying and carefully didn't roll his eyes. Eye-rolling was something Casey did. But if Dan was the sort to roll his eyes, he would be doing it. "I've got root beer and pretzels - plain, regular old pretzels, not those unnatural flavored things you like. The O's double-header starts in a couple of hours. I'll be fine."

Sam still looked worried. "But --"

"I'm on vacation," Dan said, trying not to sound exasperated, "not an invalid."

Sam's lips twitched just the slightest bit. "I'd be less concerned if you were an invalid," he said. "I know what happens when you get bored."

"How much trouble can I get into sitting on my own couch?" Dan asked, attempting to look angelic.

Sam actually snorted. "A lot."

Dan made shooing motions with his hands and herded Sam towards the door. "Go. Go show the young 'uns that they don't really know anything. Enjoy your dinner afterwards. I'll be fine." Dan leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Sam's lips. "Really."

~*~

An hour later, Dan was bored. There was nothing worth watching on TV and, much as he was loath to admit it, plain, regular old pretzels weren't very tasty. He spent a few minutes pondering how that had happened, how it was that he found regular old pretzels boring, but then he started veering into the territory of examining his feelings and had to stop. So he picked up the phone to do what he always did when he was bored and when putting off navel-gazing.

"Hey, Casey."

"Dan. What're you up to?"

"I'm bored. Sam has deserted me."

Dan could hear Casey's indrawn breath and he realized what he'd just said. "No, no, no. He's gone off to give a guest lecture and have dinner with an old friend, leaving me home all alone."

"Oh," Casey said on a sigh of relief. "Surely there's something on TV."

Dan frowned; he'd heard Casey rant about the poor quality of programming the last time Casey was home sick. "You know what daytime TV is like." Something must be wrong. "What's going on? Is something going on?"

Casey sighed. "I'm trying to write the entire script for tonight's show. I don't know where they found this replacement guy. He's incapable of stringing together two words in a coherent manner."

"Obviously they need to replace him."

Casey laughed. "I don't suppose you want to come in tonight."

"The O's are playing a double-header against Texas," Dan said rather gleefully. "I have a good feeling about it."

"Well, they are pretty evenly matched."

"It's the Rangers, Casey. They signed Sammy Sosa after he'd been out of the game for a year. How can this be bad?"

"I hope you're right. Look, I have to get back to the script. Talk to you later."

Dan hung up, still feeling good about the O's prospects against Texas.

~*~

Dan was staring at the TV in disbelief. What he'd just seen happen surely didn't just happen. So he did what he always did in times of tragedy, insanity, and when bad things happened. He called Casey. Again.

"Dan, this is the fifth time you've called me in the last two hours."

Dan squinted at the TV screen. "Casey, I think I'm drunk on root beer. Is it possible to get drunk on root beer? It must be because the TV is telling me that the Orioles have given up 5 runs in the 4th and I really don't think that can be right."

Casey sighed. "Who's pitching?"

"Daniel Cabrera." Who was like the little girl with a curl - when he was good, he was very, very good but when he was bad, he was awful.

"There you go."

"So, not drunk on root beer, then."

"Not drunk on root beer," Casey confirmed. "Just Cabrera having a bad day. I gotta go, Dan."

"Just leave me to my misery."

Casey laughed and hung up. Dan winced as the Orioles went down in order and the Rangers came up to bat again.

~*~

By the time Dan heard the front door open and close, he had given up on yelling at the TV. Dave Trembly, the O's manager, couldn't hear him and, really, the bullpen wasn't any better than the starting pitcher had been. He was slumped on the couch, remote clutched in his hand, when Sam came home.

"How's it going?" Sam asked from behind the couch.

Dan's head thumped the back of the couch as he looked up at Sam. "My hero. You've come to save me in my hour of need."

Sam's lips twitched. "What can I do, O handsome prince?"

Dan held up the remote. "Change the channel. Please. It's like a train wreck; I can't bear to watch but I can't tear my eyes away."

"Is it that bad?"

"The O's just gave up 10 runs," Dan said. "In one inning."

"Hmm, that is bad. What's the score?"

Dan looked back at the TV to check the score. He'd long since turned the volume down in a somewhat vain attempt to lessen the horror. "24 to 3."

"Not much chance of rallying, then."

"Not so much, no." Dan groaned as yet another Ranger wound up on base. He looked back up at Sam. "They haven't scored a run in 5 innings."

Taking the remote, Sam leaned down to give Dan an upside down kiss. "Any suggestions as to what to watch next?"

"Why don't we just turn the TV off?" Dan said, grinning. "I'm sure we can put the couch to better use."

"You do have good ideas," Sam replied, pointing the remote at the TV and hitting the power button.

~*~

When Casey called to commiserate with Dan over the Orioles losing the first game of the double-header by a record 30-3, he got the answering machine.

**Author's Note:**

> For [](http://community.livejournal.com/sportsbackinsn/profile)[](http://community.livejournal.com/sportsbackinsn/)**sportsbackinsn**, prompt: Baltimore Orioles give up record-setting 30 runs to the Texas Rangers.  
> My fab beta, [](http://silver-cyanne.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://silver-cyanne.livejournal.com/)**silver_cyanne**, went above and beyond, having to relive the horror of this game several times.


End file.
